Sound record



Dec. 26, 1922.

E. E. NOVOTNY.

SOUND RECORD.

FILED Nov. 4. |920.`

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E @5% 7zzls @tto/www @Moe/nto@ Patented' Bec. 26, i922.

HNI-EM ST EMIL E. NOVOTN Y, 0F LOGAN, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOR TO MiamJOHN STOGDELL STOKES,

0F PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA SOUND RECORD.

Application led November 4, 1920. Serial No. 421,620.

BeA it knou'n that I` EMIL E. Novo'rNr, a citizen of the United States,and resident of Logan, in the county of Philadelphia and State ofPennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in SoundRecords, of Which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to certain new and useful improvements in soundrecords, and has particular application to such articles made from amoldable composition which embodies a synthetic resin in the nature of aphenol-acetaldehyde condensation product which containshexa-methylene-tetramin as a hardening agent to render the resininfusible under the action of the proper degree of heat, or of heat andpressure.

In my co-pending application` Serial Number 366097, filed March 15,1920, I have described a sound record wherein a phenolic condensationproduct is used which contains acetaldehyde` instead of formaldehyde,and in said application I have set forth the various advantages incidentto making a phenolic condensation product with acetaldehyde, instead offormaldehyde, some of the features of advantage being cheapness of cost,lack of Warpage or shrinkage, tensile strength. and capability of readyseparation from a metal matrix or mold.

In producing the record herein set forth, I make use of thephenol-acetaldehyde product, instead of a phenol-formaldehydecomposition, because of the above mentioned advantages incident tothefirstnamed substance. and I have found that if I first make a fusiblesynthetic resin containing acetaldehyde as a component, and thensubsequently treat this fusible resin with hexa-methylenetetramin as ahardening agent I obtain very superior results, for in addition toexpediting or speeding the reaction or conversion of the plastic resinto its final hard, set and infusible form in the manufacture 0f therecord, and enabling the latter to be readily separa-ted from the matrixor mold, without stickin or binding, the record itself, when molde willpresent a very hard, infusible, polished surface which when in use willnot scratch or abrade under the action of the reproducing needle, sothat not only will full clear tones, even over tones and under tones beproduced, but the hissing or scratching noise ordinarily incident to theplaying of the records now on the market will be eliminated.

In the accompanying drawings:

Figure 1, is a cross sectional view taken through a. blank or tabletwhich may be used in the making of my improved record.

Figure 2, is a cross sectional view of a record molded from a blank suchas is shown in Figure 1.

igure 3, is a. cross sectional View of a modified form of blank whichmay be used for molding the record.

In Figure l of the drawings I have shown my preferred form of blank ortablet for making the record, this blank comprising a body portioncomposed of a plurality of sheets or laminations l made from longiiberedmaterial, such as fiber board, straw board, paper, cloth or the like,these sheets being impregnated with a hard and set and infusiblesyntheticI resin in the nature of a phenol-acetaldehyde condensationproduct containing hexa-methylene-tetramin as a hardening agent. Asuitable number of these sheets are united in imposed relation by meansof layers of cement shown at 2, the cement being also preferably in thenature of a synthetic resin Varnish. The fiber body formed by the sheetsl is provided \vith an intermediate or barrier coat 3 composed of aphenol-acetaldehyde condensation product including barium sulphate andhexa-methylene-tetramin. These intermediate or barrier coats 3 are inturn faced by the surface coatings et constituting the impression takingfaces of the blank, these surface coatings being also of a syntheticresinous material, but of a. richer mixture than the barrier coats 3.The synthetic resin material or condensation product of the blank is nothardened to its final infusible state, until the time or after themolding of the record, but is partially hardened or pre-cooked prior tothe record molding operation so that at the time of making the recordthe resin has but little flow While still being capable of taking amolding impression.

In making the laminated fiber body of the blank I first prepare asolution or bath by mixing, by Weight, for example, 100 parts of phenol,35 parts of acetaldehyde, and of 1% of hydrochloric acid as a catalyst,the

mixture. being heated and reacted in an enclosed acid and pressureresisting container in which is arranged an a-gitating device tothoroughly mix the ingredients. The chemical reaction which takes placein the mixture results in the generation ot' considerable heat and waterand it is therefore desirable to water jacket the container for cooling'purposes to maintain the. mass at a temperature of about 200 degreesl". for about 1 hour or for a sufficient length of time to allow for'.the proper chemical reaction to combine the acetaldehyde with thephenol. The container is then subjected to heat (as by drawing the wateroi from the jacket and passing steam through the latter) at atemperature of about 330 degrees F. to boil off the hydrochloric acidand the water of condensation. Should any excess phenol remain, this maybe eliminated either by steam or vacuum distillation as is well known inthe art. If deemed necessary. the resinous mass or mixture may bctreated with an alkali or alkali carbonates to neutralize or remove anytraces ot hydrochloric acid which may remain.

The mass at this stage constitutes a fusible resin and in order tocondition the same so that the mass will assume a hard and in- Jfusibleform under a pre-determined heat, I combine with the fusible resin thehardening agent hexa-methylene-tetramin in the proportion ot about fromto 20 parts of the hardening agent to the mass of resin being treated.The hexa-methylene-tetramin, while it may be added to the fusible resinat any time, is preferably combined therewith when I make a solutionwith the tusible resin. To form this solution I dissolve, by weight. lpart of fusible resin in 3 parts of a suitable solvent, such as alcoholor acetone, and add to the solution from 5 to 20 parts of thehexa-methylene-tetramin. lVhen this synthetic resinous solution has thusbeen prepared it is of the consistency of a thin varnish. I subject thefiber sheets l to a bath of this solution by soaking or immersing thesheets therein, or otherwise applying the solution. and after the sheetshave been -impregnated with the resinous liquid, I pass the sheetsthrough a wringer to remove the execess liquid therefrom, and thensubject said sheets to the drying action of an oven to drive olf thevolatile solvent and moisture. to dry the sheets, and to partiallyharden and set the synthetic resin material in the cells ot the fibrousbody. When thoroughly dried the cells will be impregnated andstrengthened with this partially reacted synthctic resin, and the latterwill be in a non-flowing condition, so that while the fiber sheets maybe compressed there will be no pronounced side flow to the material. Aplurality 0f these sheets are then united by the layers of cement shownat 2 and this cement may be also in the form of a synthetic resinvarnish like that with which the sheets are impregnated.

When the sheets have been cemented together the resultant impregnatedlaminated ber body may be subjected to pressure, as between the platensof a press, to cause a firm adhesion or union of the sheets.

This laminated fiber body is then provided, preferably on each face,with an intermediate or barrier coat 3. The material ofi the barriercoats is also composed of 'a synthetic resin, which when applied is ofthe consistency of a thick, sluggish paint, which is made, tor example,by mixing, by weight, l part ot the reactive synthetic resin, abovedescribed, 4 parts of barium sulphate and 2 parts of alcohol, themixture being ground in a ball mill to thoroughly commingle theingredients and to form a sluggish, paint like varnish. The bariumsulphate will render the coats hard and britt-le, when heated toinfusible form. After these barrier coats have been applied, the blankis again subjected to the action of 90 a heat at a. suitabletemperature, for example, 250 degrees F. for 1 hour, to drive oi' thevolatile solvent and to dry the barrier coats and reduce the same to anon-flowing, partially reacted state. This heating will result in thefurther reaction ot the synthetic resin impregnating the fiber sheets.The blank is then provided with the final or surface coat-ings 4, whichform the impression taking faces of the blank. These surface coatingslare also formed of a synthetic resinous material,.but of a richermixture than the barrier coats 3. this mixture preferably comprising lpart pure synthetic resin made as before described, that is to say, of amixture of' phenol and acetaldehydc treated with a catalyst andcontaining the hardening agent hexa-methylene-tetramin. These surfacecoatings 4 are applied in any suitable manner, as by means of an airbrush or other agency. and the blank is then heated to drive ofi' thevolatile solvent and moisture, and to dry the coatings and cause apartial reaction of the synthetic resinous material so that it willassume a non-flowing but im- 11.3 pression taking condition. The blankis now ready for making of my record and this may be done, for exampleas follows:

In manufacturing the double-'faced sound record A shown in Figure Q theblank of 12o Figure 1 is used. The blank is interposed between a pair ofordinary 'metallic matrices or punches with the center hole 5 of theblank aligning with the usual central holes of the matrices, a studpassing through the 12.5 aligning openings for holding the matrices andthe interposed blank in proper position. The assembled matrices andblank are then placed in a suitable press and heated to a suitableoperating temperature, or 13o say from 250 to 350 degrees F. orsufficient to slightly soften the sklnlike faces 4 of the blank and tocause the sound grooves to be impressed in the faces of the blank. It is5 not necessary to cool, or to maintain preswith sharp,

sure for any extended length of time, inasmuch as the record blank hasbeen precooked and compacted or pressed intovsheetlike form prior to usefor making the rec-y ord. Therefore from l to 5 minutes is usuallysufficient for molding the sound record. It is also unnecessary'toemploy side bearers to prevent lateral flow oli-.side pressure of thesound record blank, because the latter has notendency to side flow butunder pressurethe fiber will compress in the' depressions of thematrices and produce accurate details. vAfter the molding or pressing ofthe sound record is completed, the press is opened, the sound recordremoved, and it will appear as shown in Figure 2, regularl sound groovesB on each face, thus insuring the production of strong, full and cleartones. During the heating and molding of the recordv the phenoliccondensation product ofA the blank has assumed its final, hard andsubstantially infusible form, or a form hard enough for all ordinarypurposes without further treatment, but should it be desirable toproduce an exceedingly hard and infusible record this may be done bysubjecting the latter, after removal from the matrix, to additional heator heat and light pressure. In some instances the sound record blank,and consequently the sound record, may be made with but a single layerof skinlike material as shown at 6 in Figure 3, andk this single layermay`be applied to both faces, or to but one face as may be desired, andI might also state that the fibrous materialf need not be impregnatedwith the condensation product, but unimpre ated fiber sheets may be usedif desired. owever, I much preferv to employ the impregnated libersheets and the double coated faces for the blank, as a much, moresatisfactory and far stronger article results. While I have in Figure 2shown a double faced record, it will be obvious that the soundreproducing grooves may be formed in but one face,thus forming a singlefaced record.

Where I have herein used the term pheno1, I Wish this to be' understoodas including such substances as cresol, naphthol, resorcinol, and4substances possessing like characteristics and suitable for my purpose,and W ere I have used the term acetaldehyde, wish this t0 be understoodto inclule its polymers paraldehyde and metaldehy e.

What I claim is 1. As a new article of manufacture, a sound recordhaving a grooved face, said record containing an infusible syntheticresin formed by the reaction of phenol, acetaldehyde, andhexa-methylene-tetramin. 2. As a new article of manufacture, a soundrecord comprising a porous body having a grooved face composed of aninfusible synthetic resin formed by the reaction of phenol,acetaldehyde, and hexa-methylenetetramin. v

A3. As a new article of` manufacture, a sound record having a fibrousbody impregnated with, and a grooved face composed of a hard and setinfusible synthetic resin formed by the reaction of phenol,acetaldehyde, and heXa-methylene-tetramin.

4 As a new 'article of manufacture, a sound record comprising a bodyportion and a grooved face therefor formed by the reaction of phenol,acetaldehyde, and hexa'.

methylene-tetramin.

Signed at Philadelphia, in the countyofl Philadelphia and State ofPennsylvania, this-29th day of October, A. D. 1920.

' EMIL E. N OVOTN Y.

